Chaos: Thunder on High
by DarkZero93
Summary: Three years after the events of the first story, Jessica Reynolds has traveled far from home in order to clear her mind yet her past follows her. On top of that, a deadly new enemy has revealed himself. Can Jessica prevent the Mercer virus from spreading here as well?
1. Chapter 1

**Chaos: Thunder On High**

_Jessica Reynolds, Blacklight infected human, shapeshifter, evolved, mutant…Chaos. These words can all be used to describe me. Three years ago, I was infected with the Blacklight virus, or more commonly known as the Mercer Virus. _

_Alex Mercer, the namesake of the virus, had me battling Gentek and Blackwatch for him. His ultimate goal was for me to evolve into a superhuman equal to him and then become the 'mother of the new race'. _

_When I tried to leave the city, my cousin tried to stop me. I ended up killing and absorbing him, gaining his memories in the process._

_Three years later…his memories are still echoing in my head._

Jessica stepped out of the airport and into the bright afternoon sunlight. She blinked a few times to clear her vision, and found a familiar face waiting for her.

"Afternoon, Jess," her cousin Lucy Johnson said cheerfully. Jessica noted her strong British accent. _Not surprising, given where I am._

"Let's go, Lucy," Jessica replied. "I'd like to get some shut eye."

"You had a whole bloody flight over from DC," Lucy said as she climbed into the driver's seat of her car. "Don't tell me you actually stayed awake."

"I don't want to talk about it," Jessica said.

Lucy shook her head. "The family warned me about this, but I'll be damned if I actually believed them."

Jessica didn't respond, but gazed out the window as they rode along. The country, though part of her heritage…somewhere…felt incredibly alien to Jessica.

It wasn't until they were halfway across Tower Bridge that Lucy tried to initiate conversation again.

"So," she said slowly. "Ever been to London before?"

Jessica rubbed her temples. "No…no I haven't. My aunt recommended that I come here to blow off some steam or…get some fresh air or some bullshit. She likes to ramble a lot."

Lucy glanced her way a few times. "Okay…got any favorite bands or music?"

"You're not into heavy metal, are you?" Jessica asked her cousin.

"Maybe," Lucy chuckled. "Never figured you for one of those."

Lucy's dwelling place lay on the edge of the Southwark district of London, right next to the Lambeth district. It was well concealed from the public eye and was obviously quite modest.

"Do go right ahead and make yourself at home," Lucy said once they were inside.

Jessica collapsed onto her sofa. "Before you ask…no, I don't want any tea."

Lucy laughed audibly from the next room, but didn't reply. Jessica fell asleep within minutes.

"_There's more to this," Brian said to Alex Mercer. The latter was pacing in front of a scene of destruction that stretched out below him. The handiwork of his cousin, Chaos._

"_All that you need to understand," Mercer replied, "is that your sister will be the key to the future."_

"_And Bulldog?" Brian asked. "He's getting impatient. I can barely contain the man, and so many others seek to follow his example."_

_Mercer chuckled. "Let him vent his frustrations any way he sees fit."_

"Jess!"

Jessica's eyes snapped open. "I'm not asleep," she said groggily. She then rolled over and onto the floor, hard.

"Dammit," she cursed as she picked herself up. Lucy was standing over her, looking genuinely concerned.

"You were fidgeting and talking to yourself," Lucy said. "I thought you were going mad when I first heard you."

"I'm fine, Lucy," Jessica sighed in reply.

"No, you're not," Lucy told her. "You're not well. Those mutations of yours might have something to do with it."

"Or Brian's memories," Jessica said under her breath.

Lucy sat down next to her. "I hope you'll forgive me, but what the bloody hell were you dreaming about?"

Jessica put her hands in front of her eyes. "I don't…God, I don't know."

"I could only make out one word that you said," Lucy said. "You said 'Mercer'. Who did you mean?"

"Alex Mercer," Jessica said. "He's the one responsible for tearing New York apart. He was in my dream, and so was Brian. They were talking about me and someone called 'Bulldog'."

Lucy sighed. "I would say that you should get some sleep, but that may not be the best thing for you right now."

Jessica shook her head. "Don't worry about me."

"Don't worry," Lucy replied. "Tomorrow I'll show you around the city. Help you clear your head a little."

"Thanks," Jessica said. "Here's hoping that it helps."

Jessica looked out the window at the lights of London beyond. _So far from home, but my past follows me wherever I go_.

_(Okay, so obviously the new city is London. I thought it would be a good change of pace. It was either that or Paris. Anyway, I'll be explaining more about Bulldog in the next chapter. This one's short, but it's only introductory.)_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Jessica's sense of direction was completely gone. She and Lucy had started their walk from her house and had somehow ended up in Soho. The odd thing was that Jessica couldn't tell how they had gotten there.

"I'm completely lost," Jessica said, scratching her head.

"That's why I'm here, love," Lucy replied. "Just stick with me."

Jessica looked at her. "Give me your cell number…just in case."

A few minutes later, Jessica and Lucy were standing in a large open area that was milling with people. Two fountains stood in the center of the square and a magnificently opulent building rose in the background.

"Where are we now?" Jessica asked.

"Trafalgar Square," Lucy replied. She led Jessica over to one of the fountains and sat down on its edge. Jessica sat next to her.

"What's this about?" inquired Jessica, glancing nervously behind her. Why, she couldn't tell, but something felt off about this place.

Lucy sighed. "I was hoping you might be in more of a mood to chat. Last night wasn't exactly the best time."

"I know…I've had a lot on my mind recently," Jessica said. "It's enough to drive me crazy, what with Brian's memories and this 'Bulldog' character. I never met anyone named Bulldog, and I heard that he escaped New York Zero. What if-"

"Relax," Lucy cut her off. "You see, you're getting worked up again over all that gallivanting about that you did in New York three years ago."

"I'm trying to relax," Jessica said. "I really am."

"No, you aren't," replied Lucy sternly. "I can tell. You're under a lot of stress and it's not good for you." In a low voice, she added, "It may have an adverse effect on your…mutations."

"That's not important right now," Jessica whispered.

"Of course it is," Lucy told her in a normal voice. "Look, cousin, I'm genuinely concerned about you. You're not well. You have a lot of steam to blow off indeed. Your aunt was right."

Jessica snorted. "First time in a long time."

"Tell you what," Lucy said, grinning. "I'll get in contact with one of my old flames. See if we can't get you set up on a date…huh?"

Jessica blinked at her. "A blind date? That's your idea?"

"It's better than nothing," Lucy replied.

"My options are rather limited," said Jessica.

Lucy looked down at the ground. "Do you feel that?"

Jessica looked around. She couldn't see anything out of the ordinary, but she could feel the ground beginning to shake. The people around them were noticing it as well.

"This can't be good," Jessica groaned.

"It's probably just an earthquake," Lucy offered. "We should-"

The ground erupted a little ways toward the north, and then again to the east and south. Three snakelike creatures had just burst out of the earth in a spray of dirt and concrete.

"Oh my God!" Lucy exclaimed.

Jessica looked at the creatures in horror. She had seen them before, but had never actually had to fight one.

"Hydras!" She yelled. Jessica turned and grabbed Lucy around her midsection and sprinted off in a westward direction. People were running around in a panic, but Jessica merely pushed them out of the way.

Once they were clear of the Hydras, Jessica put Lucy down and told her to run.

"I'll deal with this," she told Lucy, "so you just get the hell out of here! Go!"

Lucy did just that.

Jessica turned around and sprinted back toward the Hydras. They started flinging bits of building and street debris at her. She rolled out of the way in order to dodge the detritus and morphed her right arm into a whipfist.

As one of the Hydras threw a chunk of concrete at her again, Jessica latched onto it with her whipfist, whirled around, and slammed it on top of the same Hydra. They thing howled and went down.

Jessica obviously got lucky, as it didn't move again. Still, there were two more Hydras just waiting to be killed.

Morphing her arm into a blade, Jessica dashed toward the next Hydra. She jumped at it with hard slashing attacks that eventually sliced the monster to ribbons. As a last gesture, she made an attempt to absorb it, and actually managed to do so.

Looking at the last Hydra, she was surprised to find it already dead.

Six individuals were walking towards her and they all looked ready to fight. Then a seventh landed right in front of her.

The man in front of her wore dark sunglasses and had long black hair that fell to his shoulders. His skin was pale, yet darkly veined from excessive mutation. He looked less than human.

"Chaos," he said coolly. "What a pleasant surprise to find you in England."

"Bulldog, I presume?" Jessica spat. "You the lousy piece of shit that's ruining my vacation?"

Bulldog laughed. "You have bite! I can see why Mercer picked you. Unfortunately, he's dead."

"Yeah," Jessica replied. "I heard that Heller turned him inside out."

"Sad to say that Mercer wasn't capable of commanding an army of evolved, and Heller is unwilling. He has the same issues that you do." Bulldog paused and looked out at the city. "Misguided fools and your sense of self-righteousness."

"We are not self-righteous," said Jessica.

"Lies," Bulldog shot back. "You turned your back on your brothers and sisters. Everything that we are. You paved the way for Heller to make his move. He destroyed everything we had in New York…but he didn't destroy all of us."

Jessica crossed her arms. "So now you come to London. You think the British will be easier targets?"

"No," Bulldog said, "but this is our chance to start over. Mercer had a vision, and even though he wasn't strong enough to see it through…I am." He morphed his right arm into a blade and his left into a whipfist. "It begins with your death."

He attacked her so suddenly that she almost couldn't counter his strike. He threw her guard away and kicked her into the air. Bulldog followed up by grabbing her with his whipfist and slamming her into the ground with great force.

Jessica recovered swiftly and jumped at him, launching off a flurry of strikes with her claws. Bulldog took three of the swipes, but once he recovered he formed a hammerfist. Jessica barely had time to dodge before it came down with a mighty crack.

It was then that she noticed the other evolved coming towards her. They each had blades and claws and were charging right for Jessica.

_I know when I'm outmatched_, she thought. As they jumped at where she was, she dove off to the right and sprinted up the nearest building.

Jessica was grateful that the buildings of London were packed so close together, and also that they weren't all skyscrapers that she'd have to sprint up. It made jumping over the buildings easier, and her traversal of the city became a breeze.

She couldn't tell where she was going in the general sense of things, but Jessica did know that there were seven evolved right on her heels. She didn't have the time to stop and find out where she was.

_I need a way to lose these bastards_, she thought fiercely.

Then she noticed more evolved climbing over the buildings ahead. _This city's already crawling with these things_.

To change things up, Jessica dove down into the street. She startled a group of pedestrians, but they ran screaming when the horde of fifteen evolved landed on the same lane.

Jessica dashed through an alley and was grateful that it seemed to connect to more alleys as it went along.

A minute later, Jessica emerged back onto a street. The structure that rose in front of her was surrounded by opulent gardens, but Jessica didn't have time to admire the view. She dashed up the wall as quickly as she could, and once she reached the top, she stopped.

"Need to…get my…bearings," she panted softly to herself. She took a quick look at her surroundings. It didn't take her long to realize that she was on top of Buckingham Palace. The view was quite spectacular.

"Oi," said someone from right next to her. "How the hell did you-" The man was grabbed and absorbed before he could finish his sentence. The evolved who had done the deed stood off to the right, looking smug.

"Civil servants always have little flavor," said the blonde woman. Her accent was heavily Australian. "I'm sure you wouldn't know."

"How did you find me?" Jessica asked.

"I was the only one who saw where you went," the woman replied. "I couldn't tell Bulldog…he was nowhere near me at the time. Funny thing is that we can't track you."

"I don't really care," Jessica replied. "You're not reporting back to Bulldog."

The woman laughed. "It'll be interesting to see what happens once I've absorbed you. I wonder what sort of memories are tucked away in that little head of yours."

She formed her blade and slashed at Jessica with such ferocity that it would have cleaved her in two. Fortunately, Jessica ducked and cracked the woman's knee with a kick. She then gave the woman two solid and lightning fast punches in the groin and gut respectively, following up by grabbing her throat in a vice grip and then slamming her into the ground where Jessica then smashed the woman's head with her foot.

As she absorbed the woman, more memories came to her.

"_Are we clear on the plan, Tamora?"_

"_We are," Tamora replied. "Anything else, Bulldog?" She stroked his arm. "Maybe you want some company."_

"_So long as the Whitelight is in place," said Bulldog, "yes…I could use some company." His hand slid down her back as they kissed._

The remainder of the memories made Jessica retch, but they were there nonetheless. She pulled out her phone and called Lucy.

"What do you mean 'you're on top of Buckingham Palace'?" Lucy exclaimed. "What the hell happened?"

"Long story," Jessica replied. "I'll fill you in when you get here."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chaos: Thunder on High**

_**Chapter III**_

Jessica stared down at the table, counting the number of lines were in the polished wood. Surrounding her was one of London's smaller parks.

She was waiting for her blind date that Lucy had set her up on. All she knew about the guy was that his name was Isaac Lee. Aside from that she was clueless, and that's what Jessica hated the most.

Lucy was sitting a good distance away in the shadows, intent on observing the whole date and seeing how it went.

She made a signal at Jessica that indicated Isaac had just walked in. He was directed over to the table where Jessica was sitting.

"Jessica Reynolds," he said in surprise. "I didn't know you were the one Lucy was talking about."

Jessica found his cockney accent to be easy on her ears. It was probably his light yet firm voice. "You know me?" She asked him, shooting a look at Lucy who shrugged visibly.

Isaac sat down. As he did so, Jessica looked him over. His black hair was shaggy, but not unkempt. His eyes were a light hazel color and his teeth a dazzling white.

"I do," Isaac said cheerfully. "You're probably wondering how. You see, I happen to know that you were in New York a few years ago…during the crisis with Alex Mercer."

Jessica stared at him, unblinking. "How'd you know that?"

"I was there too," he replied. "I had been visiting a distant relative, but those events caused me to have to cut my visit short."

"Yeah," replied Jessica. "The spread of a deadly virus would cause problems. It certainly did for me."

Isaac raised an eyebrow. "How so…if you don't mind me asking?"

"Blackwatch forces shot my parents in front of me," Jessica said bitterly.

"I'm sorry," Isaac said. "All I can offer you is sympathy."

Jessica looked up at him and smiled. "Don't worry about it. It's not your fault."

Isaac glanced out at the city. "Now this thing has spread to London. It's almost as if it's following me or something." He paused. "I'm sure it's nothing to do with either of us."

"What does that mean?" inquired Jessica.

"Never mind," Isaac told her. "So…how are you enjoying the city?"

Jessica sighed. "You know, it's a nice enough place. Up until yesterday I thought the lack of nonsensical destruction was making it boring."

"Really?" Isaac laughed. "You must have enjoyed your time in New York Zero then."

Jessica watched him. "I'm perplexed. Is that sarcasm in your voice?"

Isaac shrugged. "It could be…I've gotten very well at hiding it over the years."

They watched each other for a few seconds. Jessica was trying to find some hidden emotion etched on his face. Isaac, according to his smirk, was waiting on her to laugh. Eventually she did.

"Okay," Jessica chuckled. "Maybe you were being sarcastic." She resumed her usual demeanor. "I wasn't really…connecting well with myself in New York Zero."

"How so?"

"Mercer seemed to…know me or something," said Jessica. "As much as I hated to admit it but I almost enjoyed the attention."

Isaac rubbed his temples. "I know…you're the one that Mercer infected. Before Heller, at least."

Jessica glanced behind her nervously. "What, uh…what are you talking about?"

"Don't play that game with me," Isaac replied. "I've seen you before." He took something out of his pocket, his cell phone, and showed her a picture that he'd taken.

It was an image of her, only her arm was morphed into a blade.

She sighed. "Yeah…you have."

"Don't worry about it," he told her. "I'm not seeing you as a dangerous threat. In fact, given what's been happening recently it may be a good thing you're here."

"Some might think so," Jessica said gloomily. "This is more like a curse than anything. I wouldn't wish it on anyone else."

Isaac sighed this time. "I really don't know what to say to that."

Jessica rested her chin on her hands. "Just don't bother yourself with it. I'm more curious about how you found the time to take a picture of me…and why've you kept it for so long?"

# # #

On the walk back to Lucy's house, Jessica noticed that her cousin kept shooting her several glances. She was grinning from ear to ear every time.

"What are you smiling about?" Jessica asked her.

"Oh, nothing," Lucy replied. After a long pause, she added, "You two got along better than I'd hoped."

Jessica slapped her hand audibly against her face. She'd known that this was coming. "You didn't tell me he was a manifestation of Sherlock Holmes."

Lucy looked back at her. "What's that mean?"

"He knew things about my past that I don't want to mention in public," Jessica replied.

"Oh," said Lucy. "Well…at least you know that he doesn't care about that, right?"

"I guess that's a good thing." Jessica shook her head. "I just don't know."

"Don't worry too much about it," Lucy chuckled. "I mean, you're making way too much out of this."

"I'm not trying to blow it out of proportion!"

"But you are," countered Lucy, "and doing a damn fine job of it, if I may add."

Jessica groaned. "Just forget it ever happened."

"I'm afraid I can't do that."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chaos: Thunder on High**

_**Chapter Four**_

The sky was dark and driving sheets of rain were pummeling the windows with relentless force. Lucy sat and watched it out the window, but there wasn't much to see.

Weather forecasts had called for rain, but this had been going on for about a full day now.

Jessica was somewhere downstairs, probably asleep on the couch. It was good for her to get some rest these days, given what all she had been put through in the course of her young life. Not many people could handle what she had endured.

_She's a strong woman, there's no denying that._

At some point, the sound of the rain lulled Lucy to sleep herself. A dream followed, but it was really more of a memory from a past that seemed a lifetime ago.

_Lucy, newly sixteen, was visiting some relatives in New York City. Her aunt Evelyn, her uncle Jack, and their young ten-year-old daughter named Jessica. From an initial glance, Lucy could see that Jess took after her father more than her mother…especially in her eyes and hair color._

_The Reynolds family was your typical New York family, if you could describe anyone in Manhattan as 'typical'._

_It was something new for a Londoner like her to manage._

"_So," her uncle was saying, "you're planning on coming back here to study film?"_

"_At NYU, yes," replied Lucy. "My parents were all set for me to go to Oxford, but I wasn't that keen on living up to their expectations. They were thunderstruck when I told them of my intentions."_

"_Oxford?" asked Jessica. _

"_It's a prestigious and rather old university in England," Lucy told her with a smile. "If you ever visit you should see it."_

_Honestly, Lucy was surprised that the young girl was able to sit still long enough to listen to what she was saying. Then again, her parents did inform Lucy that Jessica enjoyed reading Shakespeare in her spare time. A daunting task, to say the least._

"_Are you enjoying New York, Lucy?" inquired her aunt Evelyn, a youthful looking woman with long brown hair that curled slightly at the ends._

"_Considering everything I've seen so far," Lucy offered. "I'd say that I am." Truthfully, Lucy wasn't so sure about America. It was a country full of possibilities, but no one seemed to really care. They took much for granted._

_Later, the four of them paid a visit to Central Park. While Jack and Evelyn sat nearby on a bench, Lucy was sitting on the banks of one of the pools of water with Jessica. The latter was throwing rocks into the water whenever she found them._

"_So Jess," Lucy said. "Got any big plans for the future?"_

_Jessica looked at her. "Not really. I'm just living for today for now. That's what daddy always tells me I should do anyhow."_

"_I imagine you're trying to not grow up too fast, huh?"_

_Jessica paused. "Yeah…I guess so. What about you? Gonna carry anything with you when you go back home?"_

_Lucy thought for a minute. "Yes. I think this memory will be just fine."_

The sound of smashing glass woke Lucy instantly. Someone grabbed her from behind with their hand clamped over her mouth. Soon, she was choked into unconsciousness.

# # #

Jessica woke instantly at the sound of smashing glass. She pulled a bathrobe over her undergarments and dashed up the stairs that lay within the hall.

On the second floor landing she heard a noise that sounded like a scuffle, and then silence.

She threw open the door to her sisters room to find a broken window with several silhouettes leaping into the night beyond. Other than that, the room was empty.

_Lucy_, she thought. Jessica vaulted through the window and glided down to the street level.

In the pouring London rain, she was soaked instantly. Despite the wet and the cold, she sprinted up to the rooftops and set off after Lucy's kidnappers. Jessica could still see them, but just barely.

The chase went on for several minutes before Jessica finally caught up to one of Lucy's kidnappers. She ran up on the silhouette and wasn't surprised when a blade sliced toward her.

_Evolved_, she thought, _of course._

Jessica formed her own blade and clashed with the man that she had caught. He was heavily outmatched and bested easily.

_Probably one of Bulldog's newest recruits_, Jessica thought as she absorbed the man.

This time the memories revealed something startling.

"_The woman that Jessica hangs around with," said Bulldog, "is called Lucy. I want her brought here immediately. She'll draw Jessica toward us and then she can watch as Pariah's plan unfolds before her eyes."_

"_Won't Jessica be there when we take her?" Someone asked._

"_I'm counting on it," said Bulldog finally._

"Pariah?" Jessica asked herself. Who the hell was that and how was he connected to the infection?

It was just one more question to answer and Jessica now knew where they were taking Lucy: a warehouse on the river Thames just a few miles to the north.

She set off at once.

# # #

The door to the warehouse was open, allowing Jessica to walk inside. She made sure that her bathrobe was tied tightly around her body as she stepped over the threshold.

"Chaos," said the voice of Bulldog from somewhere above. "Couldn't you at least have thought to get dressed before you came?"

"Where is she?" Jessica demanded.

Bulldog made a few tsk noises. "That attitude won'tdo you any good, woman. Try to relax and ask me nicely."

Jessica snarled, formed a whipfist, and grabbed one of the evolved standing in the shadows. She then pulled it in and absorbed it.

"I'm not playing games with you, asshole!" Jessica yelled as the rest of the evolved prepped for a fight. "Tell me where she is, or I'll tear you all apart one piece at a time."

Bulldog merely laughed and said, "All of the pieces of the puzzle are falling together one by one."

"Is it Pariah's plan?" Jessica said fiercely.

Chuckling, Bulldog held Lucy out over the edge of a walkway. He was shrouded in shadow, but she wasn't.

"We aren't here to fight you, Chaos," he said. "At least not yet." Lucy yelled in pain at that moment, and then Bulldog dropped her.

All around her, the evolved were leaving. Soon, they were all gone. Jessica ran over to Lucy and checked her. She looked to be in one piece, save for a single mark on her left shoulder blade. Bulldog had injected her with something.

"God," said Jessica. "What did he do to you, Lucy?" She knew that her cousin wouldn't answer…she couldn't.

Then her cousin started to change. Her body was mutating rapidly and her face was taking on the appearance of the brawler class of infected.

Jessica only had one chance, and she hoped it would work. She morphed her hand into a claw and inserted it into Lucy's stomach, injecting her own strain of the virus into Lucy.

For a moment, the mutation went on, but then she began to revert back to herself. Only now, Lucy twitched violently. The same glowing red veins of viral energy were visible along her skin and her hands morphed into claws involuntarily.

Then, strangely, the claws became hands again and Lucy relaxed, falling into what might have been a deep sleep.

Jessica picked her up in her arms, cradling her like a baby. Jessica's strength made her easy to lift. She didn't know the way back to Lucy's home, but she did know one other place that she could take her.

_(Author's Note: At this point, Lucy has become an evolved as well. I'm planning to expand the story even further after this point.)_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chaos: Thunder on High**

_**Chapter Five**_

Lucy's eyes snapped open. It was relatively quiet and chilly, and the first sight that met her eyes was open pinkish-blue sky. Dawn had just broken.

She sat up slowly, groaning.

"Easy, Lucy," said Jessica from just above her. She looked up and saw Jessica sitting above her. Her hair was wet and her pink bathrobe was dirtier than it should have been. Jessica grinned sheepishly.

"Jess," said Lucy groggily, "where the hell are we?"

"Um," Jessica muttered. "M-maybe I should let you find out for yourself. Just don't freak out, the fall will be nasty."

Lucy raised an eyebrow and looked over the edge of the building.

She looked back again, growing dizzy from the extreme height. One thing she knew she'd seen told her exactly where they were. "No shit," she said nervously.

"Sorry," Jessica said, grinning again.

"The bloody Big Ben?" Lucy exclaimed. "Are you mad? Why the hell are we up here?"

Jessica looked out across the horizon. "I thought you might like the view."

"Doubtful, the fall will kill me."

"Not exactly," sighed Jessica.

"What?"

"Nothing."

They sat in silence for a bit. "Well, if it is going to be my last view, at least it's a good one."

For the first time in her life, Lucy was able to appreciate the beauty of London in a way that she never had before. It was a marvelous sight.

"Well," Jessica said. "Now that you're awake we need to get moving." She stood up and stretched.

"What?" Lucy said, growing fearful. "How am I supposed to get down?"

Jessica smirked at her. "Just…um…jump. Trust me, you'll make it." She paused to work her legs a little. "I've got a few things to explain to you when we get back to your house."

Then Jessica jumped. Lucy watched her drop for a minute, but then pulled back once again. Heights always made her queasy.

_So, this is it. This is how it ends. My own cousin forces me to jump off of the Big Ben. Quite an end to a story as dull as my life._

Lucy stood, took a deep breath, and jumped before she could change her mind.

The wind rushed past her as she dropped at an unbelievable speed. The ground rushed up to meet her, but she was determined to land on her feet.

When she hit the ground, she was in a kneeling position. She opened her eyes and stood, unable to believe that she was still alive.

"How did-?"

"How well do you know the city?" Jessica asked her.

Lucy blinked. "I, uh…pretty well. I mean…" She shook her head. "How did I survive that fall?"

Jessica sighed. "It's a long story and it's not pleasant, but if you don't mind," She leaned in close to Lucy, "I do not want to stand out here discussing this issue in my underwear."

Lucy looked her over, and only just noticed her bare feet. "Oh."

"I want a shower," Jessica added. "So let's just get back."

"Alright, but I'm not waiting too long for these answers."

# # #

Once Lucy had led Jessica back to her house, Jess had immediately stripped off her bathrobe and underwear as she walked into the shower. Lucy followed her the whole way.

"Okay," Lucy said from the doorway, speaking loudly so that Jessica could hear her over the running water. "What exactly happened to me last night?"

Jessica sighed. It was necessary for Lucy to understand what Jessica had done.

"You got kidnapped by a group of evolved," Jessica replied slowly and loudly. "I followed your kidnappers to a warehouse on the Thames. Bulldog infected you while he had you captive."

"Is that-?

"No," Jessica cut her off. "His strain of the infection was intended to turn you into one of those brawler class infected." She paused and took a deep breath, letting the water run over her face. "I saved you by injecting you with my own strain."

"And that means that…" Lucy couldn't finish her sentence.

Jessica rubbed her forehead. "You're an evolved now…it was the only way to save you."

There was a long moment of silence, and then the sound of Lucy collapsing on her bed.

Jessica left the shower immediately and went to make sure she was all right. Lucy had her hands against the side of her head, but not over her ears.

"I can't believe it," said Lucy. Jessica sat down on the bed next to her.

"Look, I know it's hard to take it in," said Jessica, "because it was for me as well. It only means that you live another day…it doesn't mean anything more than that. I promise."

Lucy pushed herself up to a sitting position and hugged Jessica, not caring that she was soaking wet. "Thanks, Jess…I know why you did it, and I trust you."

When Lucy released Jessica, she cleared her throat. "Well, um, given the awkwardness of this situation…maybe you should finish your shower."

Jessica nodded. "Right."

# # #

Two hours later, Jessica was on the phone with Isaac. She had called him to talk with him about what had happened to Lucy, who was showering herself now.

"I'm not really sure, but it sounds like Bulldog is trying to give Pariah control of the city by infecting its population one person at a time." Isaac paused. "People are vanishing by the day."

"Hopefully I'll be able to stop him in time," Jessica said. "Only problem is that I hate having to jump back into the conflict so soon."

"I'm surprised the military hasn't been called in yet," Isaac replied. "The situation will only get worse from here on out."

Jessica sighed. "Damn this, and Bulldog too. I'm getting tired of putting up with all of this crap."

"I hear that New York Zero is still a dead zone," Isaac then said, changing the subject a little. "You think you might go back there someday?"

"I'm never going back to that hellhole," Jessica shot back. "I never want to see the ruins of downtown New York again." She softened a little. "Too many bad memories."

"That place changed you," Isaac said. "Lucy told me that her favorite cousin was a carefree spirit who had no plans for the future. She just lived for today because her daddy recommended it."

Jessica chuckled. "Did she now?"

"She did," Isaac replied. "I'd like to meet that girl at some point. How about later today for a picnic outside the city? Say around…two o' clock?"

She thought for a minute, and then Jessica said, "I'd like that."

"Then it's a date." With that, they said their goodbyes and hung up. Lucy was standing at the open door of the bathroom, dressed in a simple white tee shirt and tight blue jeans.

"Who was that?" Lucy asked, shaking her damp hair back.

Jessica smiled and said. "My...boyfriend."

This time, it was Lucy who smiled.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chaos: Thunder on High**

_**Chapter Six**_

"No," Jessica was saying, "I'm not a big fan of pop rock."

Isaac laughed. "Oh, come on. What music do you listen to?"

Jessica shrugged. "Heavy metal or jazz mostly. It really just depends on what kind of mood I'm in at the time."

"Which artists?"

"Wow," Jessica sighed, "that's a pretty big list. I couldn't really tell you…pretty much anything with a good solid beat and screaming guitars."

"I never figured you for a metalhead," Isaac laughed.

"That's what Lucy said," Jessica replied. "Do I just not look the part?"

"It's not that, it's-"

Jessica cut him off by clapping her hand over his mouth. "I don't really want to know, Isaac."

Isaac shrugged as she let her hand fall. She watched him for another few seconds to make sure he wasn't going to start talking again. He didn't, but he turned his head to look out across the countryside to the east. Cars would occasionally drift by along a distant road.

Jessica and Isaac were sitting in the shade of a tall oak tree. It was the only one for miles around as far as Jessica could see. London was a ways to the southeast from where they were.

Then Isaac said, "For what it's worth, I'm sorry about what happened to Lucy."

"Thanks," Jessica replied. She picked up a stick and started twirling it in her fingers. "She didn't deserve what happened to her."

"Yeah," Isaac told her. "None of us did."

Jessica perked up and looked at Isaac with a raised eyebrow. "What?"

Isaac looked at her. "Yes?"

"You said 'us'," said Jessica. "Does that mean…?

"Yes, I'm an evolved as well, Jessica," Isaac replied. "I…meant to tell you some-"

She slapped him across the face. "What the fuck were you hiding that for? I need to know this kind of shit, you dumbass!"

"Language," Isaac said, rubbing the side of his face. "I didn't tell you because…well, because I was ashamed of it."

"So am I," Jessica yelled. "Doesn't change anything!"

"I already knew that you were an evolved," Isaac countered. "You never told me, and I know that you weren't planning on doing so either."

Jessica shook her head. "That doesn't make a damn bit of difference."

"Oh, but it does," chuckled Isaac.

"This isn't funny, you idiot." Jessica moved closer to his face, intent on getting her point across. "I was hiding it for a different reason. You could have told me that you were an evolved after I-"

He cut her off with a kiss.

At first, she was surprised but then she just let it happen. When he pulled away, she just looked at him. "What the hell was that?"

He didn't reply, but just leaned back against the trunk of the tree.

Jessica scowled. "This doesn't change a thing, Isaac."

Then a look of shock came over his face. "Move, now!"

At first, Jessica was confused but then she heard them. _Brawlers_. She looked around and saw at least ten of the beasts coming right for them.

"Move!" Isaac said, more forcefully this time.

They both jumped. Jessica formed her claws as Isaac's arm morphed into a blade. _So he is an evolved._

Jessica jumped at the nearest Brawler, snapping its neck back and tearing its throat out with her claws. She absorbed it almost subconsciously.

Two more Brawlers jumped at her, their claws flailing at her body. Deep gouge marks formed in her skin that healed shortly after were created. Jessica lashed back with her claws. Blood flew in showers and pooled on the ground as she hacked away at the Brawlers.

For every hit she landed, they landed two.

She absorbed the fallen to regain her energy, but found herself being overwhelmed. Apparently more Brawlers had come into the fight.

Jessica was outmatched. These Brawlers were more advanced…more evolved than the ones that she had fought previously.

Ducking under a claw strike, she formed her blade and slashed into the Brawler that had attempted to hit her. The blade tore into it with such fury that the beast dissolved into a shower of blood and gore.

Out of nowhere, one of the Brawlers jumped on top of her and pinned her. It started clawing at her relentlessly.

Then it happened.

Jessica felt an odd tingling sensation over her body. She then exploded into a mass of tendrils that latched onto and tore apart all of the Brawlers in her immediate vicinity. Her body exploded once more. The shockwave sent the beasts flying away in multiple directions.

When it was over, there was silence. Jessica was drained physically and mentally.

"Um…Jessica," said Isaac's voice. She opened her eyes.

Isaac was staring everywhere but at her. Jessica looked down at herself and noticed that her clothes had been shredded. There were gaping holes in her shirt and pants in a few revealing places.

_I don't give a damn right now_, she thought. "Isaac," she panted, walking over to him. "Are…are you alright?"

Isaac nodded. Jessica could see that he was sweating but she couldn't tell for what reason.

Jessica was grabbed from behind by a whipfist and then promptly slammed into the nearby Thames River.

She tried to redirect herself in the water, but wasn't strong enough to fight the current.

Someone reached in and grabbed her by the throat, then pulled her back into daylight.

Jessica sputtered as she emerged from the water.

The man holding her whistled. "And here I thought your tits would be bigger." Jessica fought against his grip, but she was just too drained to resist him. The chill that she was feeling told her that she'd lost her loosened and shredded clothes in the water when she'd been slammed in.

"It's a pity you won't see Pariah's plan come to fruition," the man said darkly. He drew his hand back, forming it into a claw as he did so.

_So now I'm dead. I knew it'd happen eventually._

Then the man yelled and dropped Jessica as he was pulled away from her with intense force.

Isaac grabbed the man himself and threw him down in front of Jessica.

"Do it," Isaac yelled at her.

Jessica mustered up all of the energy she had left and slammed her foot into the man's head. She absorbed him instantly after.

Then came more memories.

"_The time is close at hand," said Bulldog. "The fight is not yet over. Pariah expects results and I do not intend to disappoint."_

"_What's the plan, sir?" A woman asked._

"_Whitelight will be released into the London underground tomorrow at midday. We expect a large crowd at the time of the release."_

_There was a pause, then Bulldog looked at the man whose memories she was viewing. "You're going to find Chaos and get rid of her once and for all. We have a plan in place."_

"_I'll go with him," said the woman who'd spoken earlier. _

Jessica returned to her own mind and sat down on the ground. Water dripped from her hair as she gulped down fresh air, still physically drained.

Isaac knelt down in front of her. "Jessica…are you alright?"

Jessica coughed. "I…I think so."

"What did you learn?" he asked her.

"Whitelight…" she panted. "London…London underground…tomorrow at noon…"

She couldn't speak anymore. Isaac offered her his hand and helped her to her feet. "Thank you," she whispered, then she fell into him. "I can't even…stand right now." She was feeling tired, and literally fell to sleep right at that moment.

_(Note: This story is nearing its climax. There will also be a part three to finish the story off. I'm even thinking of an epilogue story of sorts.)_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chaos: Thunder on High**

_**Chapter Seven**_

_(Note: This chapter is from Lucy's point of view.)_

Lucy put her hand to Jessica's forehead. Temperature was well within acceptable range, so she wasn't running a fever. She showed no other abnormal signs except for the occasional twitch.

"Don't worry about her Lucy," Isaac said, "she's just exhausted and needs time to rest."

"She's been through too much," Lucy replied. "I'd hoped that this vacation would be a nice reprieve for her, but that was a bit too much to hope for I'd guess."

Isaac rubbed his temples. "I got her to you as quickly as I could."

"You never explained why she was brought back…" Lucy looked back at the sleeping Jessica. "Where were her clothes?"

"Lost in the river," Isaac replied.

"Ahh," Lucy smirked. "Decided to do a little skinny dipping, eh?"

"What? No!" Isaac walked over to the window. "We got into a fight with a group of Brawlers and then a few evolved kicked us when we were down. Two of them…a woman and a man."

Lucy shook her head. "It would seem that my cousin can't live a normal life." She leaned up against a nearby wall. "I have to say, Isaac…you two are a perfect couple."

Isaac looked back at her. "I'm not really focused on that right now."

"Just promise me one thing," Lucy added. "When you do get her in bed, don't show her that God awful trick that you do with your Johnson. That was just-"

"Enough," Isaac cut her off sharply. Then he added, "please."

Lucy shrugged. "Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you."

Isaac was watching something out the window. After two seconds, he opened the window and jumped out.

Running over to the window, Lucy saw that he was after two Brawlers that had just leapt over the buildings nearby.

She followed, hoping to be of some use but she had no idea how to use these new powers of hers.

Lucy had seen Jessica morph her arm into a whip, blade, and other weapons. Once even for her amusement. She had no idea how her cousin had done it though.

Focusing her thoughts, Lucy tried to envision her arm as a blade. Through sheer force of will, her arm liquefied and then morphed into a shining steel razor-sharp blade that ran a length of at least one and a quarter meters.

"Holy shit!" She exclaimed as she watched this happen.

"Lucy! Watch it!"

Lucy looked up and saw a Brawler bearing down on her. She yelled and dove out of the way. The Brawler redirected itself, but this time it ran its chest onto Lucy's blade. Lady luck had apparently been on her side in this match.

Even as she watched it, the Brawler melted into a reddish-black gelatinous form and then seeped its way into Lucy's body. She stood there, wishing it were over…and then it was. She didn't have a drop of blood on her.

"Lucy, catch!" Yelled Isaac. He threw a man at her. Lucy could see from a distance that he was another evolved.

Out of almost instinct, Lucy grabbed the man out of the air and then slammed him onto the ground. She followed up by pile driving her blade into his gut.

Then her mind flashed.

"_I'm getting sick of waiting, Professor!"_

"_Sir, Doctor Harriet Lee is gone…we don't know where she is!"_

"_Find her, or I'll tear you apart! Slowly!"_

Lucy's eyes opened. She was still fine, but the memory echoed in her head.

Isaac rested his hand on her shoulder. "You okay?"

"Yeah," said Lucy. "Yeah, I'll be fine…just give me a second."

"It's always tough to get used to at first," Isaac replied. "You'll grow stronger over time." He paused. "Now you can connect even better with Jess."

Lucy shook her head, but didn't reply. If that was what Jessica had to live with, was it any wonder she was still sane?


	8. Chapter 8

**Chaos: Thunder on High**

_**Chapter Eight**_

_(Note: This chapter is not meant to be provocative. Everything has a purpose in this story so, as always, bear with me. Still, consider yourself warned.)_

Jessica woke up around six o' clock in the evening. She'd sat up, stretched, and then listened to Lucy and Isaac as they explained what had transpired over the past three hours.

"Lucy here will certainly need more time to get used to her powers," said Isaac.

"I'd rather not have to use them," Lucy replied.

Jessica punched her playfully on the arm. "Aw come on, Lucy…it's quite exhilarating once you get the hang of it."

Lucy raised her eyebrow. "So…what's happening tomorrow?"

"Bulldog and the others are going to spread Whitelight in the London Underground around midday," Jessica said. "What's our plan?"

"We have to be ready," Isaac replied, but he was talking to both Jessica and Lucy. "To that end, I'll keep Jess over at my place tonight. Lucy…you need to lay low."

Jessica gave Isaac a look that Lucy couldn't identify.

"That sounds best," Lucy then said. "I've seen more action than I care to for today."

Isaac nodded.

"Wait a minute," Jessica interjected. "Don't I get a say in this? I'm a grown fucking woman!"

"Not entirely," Lucy said. When Jessica opened her mouth again, Lucy cut her off by saying, "I'm not going to argue the point Jessica. It's smarter to do it Isaac's way."

Jessica watched Lucy for a minute, and then said, "Yeah…you're right."

Lucy nodded. "You're almost a grown woman." She looked back at Isaac. "Anything else?"

"Yes," said Isaac. "We need to leave soon." He stood and looked over at Jessica. "You'll need to be dressed and ready to go by seven. The sooner we leave this house, the better."

"It's my bad interior decoration, isn't it?" Lucy sighed, speaking sarcastically.

Jessica laughed, and even Isaac smiled a little.

# # #

Later, as Jessica was standing near the door waiting on Isaac. Lucy pulled him to the side and into her den.

"Alright," Lucy said quietly, "I know that you're probably going to think I'm mad for asking you this, but if Jessica's staying with you…are you…?

"No," He replied under his breath, rather quickly actually. "I hadn't…planned on it."

"It might be better if you did," said Lucy. "She's under a lot of stress and she needs to lose some of the tension."

"I'm not bringing her over to my house so that I can sleep with her, Lucy," Isaac said. "I know that you've been under a lot of stress yourself."

"Not as much as Jess has," Lucy sighed. "Plus…she really likes you. It might help to clear her head out a little bit."

Isaac sighed this time. "I need to go."

He walked out to where Jessica was waiting. As Isaac walked out the door, Jessica followed. They'd both already said their goodbyes.

Lucy watched them leave, grateful that she wasn't going to be a target this night.

At that moment, her cell phone rang.

"Hello?" She said into the mouthpiece.

"Lucy Johnson," said a woman's voice, "this is Doctor Harriet Lee. I'm going to need to speak with you about an urgent matter."

"Who are you?" asked Lucy, "and I don't mean your name."

"I'm a friend, and I'm trying to help you and your cousin Jessica. This is a matter of the utmost importance."

Lucy paused for a second. "Alright…I live at-"

"I know where," said Harriet, and then she hung up.

# # #

Isaac had a modest house, much like Lucy's. It was simply furnished and wasn't extravagantly decorated like Lucy's place was.

Still, the walk over had taken at least thirty-five minutes, and even with the sun setting there had been enough heat to make Jessica sweat at least a gallon.

"Damn that feels good," she sighed as she walked into Isaac's climate-controlled home. She looked over at Isaac. "Do you mind if I use your shower for a bit?"

"Go ahead," he replied. He directed her to an upstairs restroom just off of the Master Bedroom.

Ten minutes later, once she was satisfied, she stepped out of the shower and reached for her clothes. They were gone.

_Don't tell me he wants to play this game with me_, she thought. Isaac had already gotten a good long glimpse of her 'assets' anyhow.

Then she happened to notice a bathrobe with a note next to it.

It read:

_Jess,_

_I've taken the liberty to wash your clothes for you. You can wear this bathrobe in the meantime._

_Isaac_

Jessica shook back her wet hair and slipped on the bathrobe, tying it tightly around her waist. _Bet this is going to feel awkward._

# # #

It took Harriet over an hour to arrive. By then, the sun had already set.

"Okay, Lucy," said Harriet. "You and Jessica are about the only hope I've got right about now…Isaac too."

"What do you mean?" Lucy inquired as she sat down at her kitchen table.

"Pariah," Harriet went on, sitting down opposite Lucy, "is on the move. He's working to take London next, but he won't stop there. You're aware of the incident back in New York around two or three years ago?"

Lucy nodded. "I'm aware of the situation that happened there."

"Then you know that Jessica Reynolds, aka Chaos, was a pawn in the game before she grew wise to their act," Harriet told her plainly.

"My cousin told me as much."

Harriet crossed her fingers on the table. "One of my contacts, Dana Mercer, told me that the Blacklight virus has begun to appear in isolated towns across Europe. Pariah's the one behind it."

"So…"

"He's hunting your cousin as well," Harriet said. "Not actively, but he wants to draw her to him. James Heller and the others as well. We aren't sure what Pariah's plan is exactly, but it involves your cousin, Heller, and all of the other evolved out there."

Lucy sighed. "We just can't take a break."

"That's also why I've been keeping tabs on Isaac," Harriet added. She pulled her phone out of her pocket. "I've bugged his house with-" She stopped as she looked at the screen, and then looked away. "Oh dear god…that's TMI." Harriet put her phone down. "A-anyway, I've been monitoring him to make sure that no other evolved get too close to him."

Lucy picked up her phone. "You know you're breaking the law, right?" She glanced at the screen and her eyes widened in shock. She then slid the phone back across the table. "That's wrong, woman! How dare you!"

"I wasn't trying to-" Harriet rubbed her temples. "It was for his own safety. My cameras were monitoring his front door and living room."

# # #

_This does feel awkward._

Jessica was sitting on the couch next to Isaac watching an evening news broadcast on the television. They were checking for any mention of the Blacklight virus or of the chaotic events that had rocked the city of London recently, but no such story was forthcoming.

She glanced at Isaac a few times, but he seemed drawn to the TV. At last she sighed. "Alright…start talking because this is getting awkward."

"What about?" Isaac asked her.

"Us, mostly," she replied. "Come on…earlier today wasn't just a spur of the moment thing…I felt it in my gut." She paused. "And in a few other nameless places."

Isaac sighed. "I knew this was coming up…"

"Aha," said Jessica with a smirk. "That's your game. You're planning on seducing me and then-"

"For the love of God!" He exclaimed, but the hint of a smile was playing at his lips. "You and your cousin Lucy are both alike. What is it…a phase?"

"No," Jessica shrugged. "I'm just very forthcoming and forceful."

"Maybe it's a side effect of your mutation," offered Isaac, inching closer to her.

"Who said?"

"I did." Isaac was only two inches away from her by then. "The Blacklight more than likely affects your mind as well as your body. I've noticed subtle changes in the way I approach things ever since I became infected."

Jessica narrowed her eyes. "You're just delaying the action so shut the fuck up." This time, _she_ kissed _him_. It happened about the same way that it had earlier that day, only this time there was no stopping.

# # #

"It sounds like London is scheduled for the first major outbreak of the virus," Harriet said as she checked over several reports on her laptop.

Lucy ran her eyes over the screen. "Are they choosing isolated rural towns for a reason?"

"I'm not sure," replied Harriet. "I'm seeing at least three locations in Spain, one in France, and one in Germany."

"He's picking his targets carefully," Lucy sighed. "What are we supposed to do?"

"I'm working on that." Harriet tapped a few keys. "In the meantime, it's up to Jessica to stop Bulldog and get this outbreak under control."

"That won't be easy," said Lucy. "She's just one woman."

"She's got it where it counts."

# # #

Jessica and Isaac's lovemaking lasted for a few hours. When they were finished, she arched her back and sighed, "Damn…I needed that." She looked back down at Isaac. "So what now?"

Isaac clasped his hands behind his head. "To be honest, I hadn't really thought that far in advance."

Jessica raised an eyebrow and stood up. She stretched again and walked over to the window, looking out at the stars. There weren't many that could be seen, but she enjoyed watching them twinkle and glimmer in the darkened sky.

"Looks so peaceful out there," she said softly. "You'd never expect that we'd have to fight a war tomorrow." She looked back at Isaac. "Truthfully, this is the most advance warning I've ever had."

Isaac laughed. "Bulldog is a bit more forceful than Mercer, and he's certainly nowhere near as intelligent as Mercer was. He's made his share of mistakes."

"And Pariah," asked Jessica.

"He'll be worse," said Isaac. "I've just got a feeling that he'll be a lot worse than Bulldog or Mercer."

Jessica shook her head. "I still don't know Bulldog's real name."

"Well, neither do I," Isaac chuckled.

_(Note: There will only be two more chapters to this story.)_


	9. Chapter 9

**Chaos: Thunder on High**

_**Chapter Nine**_

The sky above had been overcast all morning, and the slightest hint of thunder could be heard every so often. It was the perfect weather to fit this fight.

Jessica was sitting on top of the building that was Isaac's house. Below, the people of London carried on with their daily lives. They were completely oblivious to the fact that their city was about to become a warzone. A central battlefield in the struggle for control that would soon envelop all of Europe.

Her cell phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Jessica, it's me," said Isaac's voice.

"Yeah, I figured it was you when I saw your name on my phone before I answered it," she replied smugly.

There was a sigh from the other end, and then Isaac said, "We're clear at the Parliament building…have you heard from Lucy?"

"No," said Jessica. "Last I heard from her she was checking around Buckingham Palace."

"What are you doing?" Isaac asked.

"Sitting on your roof."

"What? Lucy and I can't do this alone," Isaac argued. "Get your ass out here."

"My ass is tired," Jessica countered. "Especially after that ruckus you put it through."

"We need help, Jess," he sighed. "This is not the time for jokes."

Jessica shook her head. "Alright…fine." She hung up.

Seen as how she'd already scoured Brent, she decided to go to Whitechapel, which she wasn't far from.

In the midday sun, the sun gave the city a slight gleam from above as she jumped from rooftop to rooftop.

_What are we looking for above ground anyway?_ She asked herself. _This was Lucy's suggestion, but she never gave us any real details. The main threat is in the London Underground._

It wouldn't do any good complaining. She would just head underground as soon as she could.

# # #

There was an explosion somewhere in the subway system at around 12:02. From the sound of the blast relative to Lucy's position, it was somewhere down the Victoria Line. Another two blasts followed, one in the Central Line and one down the Piccadilly Line.

People aboveground moved as fast as they could to get off of the street, but Lucy wasn't paying attention. She was moving for the nearest subway station. She fought her way through the crowd that was pushing its way out of the Underground, which was relatively easy given her newfound strength.

Down in the tunnels, Lucy found no sign of any Whitelight gas but that didn't mean that it wasn't on its way from further down the line.

She dashed further down the tunnel, in pursuit of a couple of shadows she'd seen.

# # #

Jessica received a nasty surprise as soon as she was below ground. Two evolved were rigging another bomb, apparently a little behind schedule from the rest.

As Jessica stepped into the tunnel, she heard a loud roar as a train came flying by. The bomb exploded as the train rolled by, immediately covering the surrounding area in dense reddish fog that was reminiscent of Whitelight.

From the sign near her, Jessica could tell that this was the District Line. There had already been three bombs that had gone off at different points around the Underground.

She jumped at the two evolved with her blade. Neither one of them had a chance as she sliced into them and absorbed them.

Her mind flashed again.

"_At approximately 12:00 there will be a train passing along the District Line westbound to Wimbledon…I want you there with that bomb at the ready for when it passes by."_

"_Understood."_

Jessica dashed backwards at the sound of scraping metal and narrowly dodged a blade as it swiped in the exact same place she'd been standing.

# # #

There was a nasty surprise waiting for Isaac when he got to Soho. Four evolved stood above him on the rooftops and all of them were ready for a fight. One of them had his claws out, two had blades, and the other had hammerfists.

"Surprised?" One of them asked, a young brunette woman. She was the one with the claws.

Isaac scoffed. "Yeah, you're late."

Instead of responding, they all jumped at him at once. Isaac readied his whipfist on his left arm and his blade on the right.

The four evolved hit him at the same time. Isaac knocked one of the enemies with a blade off his feet with his whipfist while his blade sliced into the gut of the brunette woman. He then whirled around and used it to block a blow from the other evolved with a blade. A shower of sparks hit the ground as the blades connected with the clang of steel on steel.

Isaac was knocked backward by a sudden blow from the evolved with the blade as the one he'd knocked away jumped at him. He landed directly on Isaac's blade.

Isaac then formed his claw on his left hand and sliced the man's head off. The rest of his body melted into Isaac's skin, which brought new memories in.

"_Keep an eye on Isaac," said Bulldog. "I expect he's working with Chaos ever since he turned down our offer."_

"_Any leads on his location?"_

"_Try Brent. If he isn't there, look in Soho."_

"_Are you just guessing?"_

_Bulldog strikes him across the face. "Get moving, you lazy dog."_

# # #

A horde of zombie-like infected people with strange looking mutated growths met Lucy at the station in Knightsbridge. They lumbered toward her, flailing their arms at the same time.

Lucy formed her claws and started carving and eating her way through them, absorbing every last one that she could get her claws on. It was easier than leaving them for someone else to clean up later.

A sudden strike from a whipfist knocked Lucy off of her feet. She was slammed against a wall and saw stars for a few seconds.

"What the hell?" said a deep voice. "You're not her, you're that other bitch."

Lucy stood and formed her blade. "Surprised, are you?"

"No," said the man, "but I am disappointed." He jumped at her with claws this time. Lucy dodged and slashed at him with her blade, but he jumped over her swipe. His claw came down on top of her head and sent her onto the tracks.

She jumped away just as a train came thundering by.

"You're too slow," said the evolved. He attacked her again, but this time Lucy caught him in the crotch with her foot right before he hit her. Her strike interrupted his jump and they both crashed into the moving train.

Lucy was dazed again, and she was taking a beating. If she hadn't been infected with Blacklight, she would already have been dead.

The evolved came at Lucy again, but Lucy was able to surprise him with a strike from her own whipfist that shot clean through the man's body. He melted into Lucy within seconds.

"_Give me the vial!"_

"_No! I need it to complete my own work!"_

"_Your work means nothing in the grand scheme of things. Give me the vial, or you won't see the sun again."_

Bulldog obviously kept his soldiers under a tight watch.

The memory hadn't contained any useful data, but it had been Lucy's first real look at Bulldog.

She jumped down the tunnel, only to run right into a group of Brawlers coming right for her.

_(Note: The fight's not over yet. Chapter Ten is going to be the conclusion to Part Two of the Chaos story. Part Three will follow soon.)_


	10. Chapter 10

**Chaos: Thunder on High**

_**Chapter Ten**_

By two o' clock in the afternoon, the battle in the Underground still wasn't finished. In fact, Jessica could have sworn that it had only escalated in the short amount of time that had passed.

Three trains had crashed in the past two hours, and the zombie-like infected were lumbering around in every station and in the tunnels.

The military had been called in aboveground and were covering the exits, meaning that the infected were all trapped within the Underground.

_Figures_, Jessica thought as she sliced and absorbed her way through four more infected. Such a task had now become routine now that she was used to it.

She wondered where Isaac and Lucy were. She'd seen Lucy about fifteen minutes ago, fighting off about three evolved and a horde of infected, and Isaac…well, the last time she'd seen him had been earlier that morning. _I'm not worried_, she told herself, _but he is pushing the limits._

There was an explosion of metal and stone to her left that knocked her off of her feet at that moment. Jessica rose slowly, and found herself face to face with an evolved and two Brawlers.

"Go!" Yelled the evolved, and the Brawlers jumped right for Jessica.

Jessica jumped backward and readied her whipfist, which she sent flying right for one of the Brawler's heads. The whip latched on, and she jumped at the beast with her claw at the ready, with which she started tearing into the beast's chest. Jessica ripped it in half with a powerful jerk, but the beast was already melting into her body.

The other Brawler leaped at her, and ended up running directly into her swinging blade. Its material was added to the mix.

By then the evolved was already attacking Jessica. There was an exchange of blows as the fight escalated. Jessica twirled her blade and it met the other's blade in a shower of sparks.

The evolved got in a lucky kick, but Jessica grabbed their leg and sliced it off with her blade. She then tossed the evolved into the air and sliced it in half, absorbing it at the same time.

_The evolved raised its hand and made a fist followed by a loud whistle and two Brawlers rushed forward. They charged right through the wall, and then Jessica was looking at a memory version of herself._

She snapped back to reality. _Pack leader…that's what they call this technique._ It would be nice to let some Brawlers do the hard work for her at this point.

The opening left by the evolved and the Brawlers led into a tunnel. Jessica decided to follow it and see where she ended up.

It was a winding path. Water glistened along the rock walls, and the path traveled ever downward. Small lanterns along the way dimly lighted the path.

When she reached the end, she was surprised to find herself in a massive chamber that was most certainly a man-made construction. Metal beams stretched from one wall to another high above. In the center of the room were several individuals.

She recognized one of them immediately.

"Bulldog," she said, her voice echoing around the room. He turned to her.

"Chaos…what a most welcome surprise." He and the others moved aside, giving her a clear view of a cache of Whitelight."

"What is this?" Jessica demanded.

Bulldog laughed. "This is our newest formula. With it, I will raise a mighty army with which Pariah will conquer the world. Our age has finally begun." He crossed his arms. "I give you one final chance to join us, Chaos. We can cease this violence against your siblings once and for all."

"Why would I?" Jessica yelled. "I happen to like the world just the way it is."

"Just like Heller," Bulldog replied. "You both refuse to see the true glory of what we can accomplish…what kind of world we can create."

"Enough talk, Bulldog," Jessica said. She formed her claws. "Whatever you're doing here ends now!"

Bulldog laughed again. "You won't win, Chaos! In fact, you've already lost."

Several of the other evolved near him dragged a woman from out of the shadows. She yelled as she was thrown to Bulldog.

Jessica recognized her. _Doctor Harriet Lee_.

Bulldog sliced open one of the canisters containing Bulldog's chemical.

"In a few seconds," said Bulldog over the screams of Doctor Lee, "You will witness your ultimate downfall. She will be the vanguard of our army!"

Doctor Lee's screams were suddenly silenced, as there was an almighty explosion from the center of the room. Everything went dark, but Jessica could hear something massive stepping toward her. Bulldog laughed again as she was grabbed by a large hand and hurled through the ceiling with such force that she smashed right through it and into bright daylight.

Jessica had ended up in some park, but she couldn't tell where. She rose slowly, her body aching, only to find that the monstrosity was following her.

It smashed through the ground with a mighty roar, and Jessica finally saw what Bulldog had done to Doctor Lee. Her eyes widened in horror.

_Goliath!_ The only problem was that this Goliath was bigger than the others. Jessica couldn't tell that it was Doctor Lee by sight, but there was no one else that it could have been.

She swapped her claws for her blade and readied herself for a fight, but this would be the toughest one of her life.

The Goliath roared again and charged right for her, its shield arm carving its way for it. Jessica summoned up all the strength she had and jumped. She cleared the shield, but the Goliath slammed a giant fist into her that sent her flying.

Jessica recovered and formed her whipfist with her left arm. She threw it at the Goliath's exposed left leg and dashed toward it with her blade in front.

She connected and sliced clean through the Goliath's leg, disconnecting it. At that moment, she looked up and saw a squad of choppers moving in. Their chain-guns were already firing a barrage of rockets into the now wounded Goliath, but all it did was make it angry. It grabbed one of the choppers out of the air and crushed it in its mighty grip.

The other chopper went down after a swing from the beast's massive arm.

Something dashed past Jessica and jumped at the Goliath. Jessica glanced just in time to notice Lucy running right for it.

"Lucy, wait!"

Lucy jumped onto the Goliath and lashed into it with her claws. She was agile enough that the monstrosity couldn't grab her in time, but she managed to weaken it and bring it to the ground.

It stirred, hoping to get back up, but Jessica wouldn't let it. She ran towards it and latched her claws onto it, absorbing it as she did so.

Somehow, Harriet's memories survived.

"_Bulldog's mutations seem to be growing exponentially," Harriet told Dana Mercer over the phone. "I'm going to see if I can get Jessica on the link. She may be able to help us sort out this problem."_

"_Get it done, Harriet," said Dana, "please. We're running out of time."_

"_I know," Lee replied. "But Pariah won't let this plan die with Bulldog. The war's only just begun."_

Jessica shook her head, trying to clear it. "That was a bit much."

"Must have been," said Lucy. "What the hell was that?"

"Bulldog's worst insult," Jessica replied. They both looked at the remains of the Goliath corpse. "That's all that's left of Harriet Lee."

"What?" Lucy said, looking at Jessica like she was crazy.

"Bulldog will pay for this," Jessica told her.

"He already has," said Lucy, looking up. Isaac jumped down from one of the buildings, landing right next to them.

"Bulldog is finished," Isaac said.

"I watched Isaac kill and absorb him," Lucy added in explanation.

Jessica crossed her arms. "Well isn't that anti-climactic."

"It wasn't easy," said Isaac. "I also destroyed his formula. It's gone."

Jessica gasped at a sudden pain in her stomach. She felt it in her legs, arms, and even her head. She went to her knees as Lucy and Isaac stood over her, trying to find the best way to help her.

"Are you alright?" Lucy asked.

"Do I look that way to you?" asked Jessica through gritted teeth. She yelled as her arms and back molded into an odd carapace. Something else changed as well.

"Jess, your eyes…they're glowing…red."

Jessica lost consciousness as another wave of pain shot through her.

_(Note: The story continues in part three. I'm building that story on a larger scale than the first two.)_


End file.
